V Krishnaswamy: A positive start for Junior golf

SIMPLY GOLF

Last week was crucial for the future of golf in India. And it has nothing to do with the next five-year contract for the Professional Golfers of India's Tour.

In all likelihood, it will stay with Tiger Sports Marketing, the current promoters. But it has been eventful because of the sponsorship deal the Indian Golf Union (IGU) has managed to pull through for its Junior Tour.

In a landmark agreement, Nokia, the mobile phone company, has agreed to sponsor five major juniors events. While sponsorship in pro golf means more money for the golfers, in the case of amateur and junior golf, it means more facilities for the youngsters.

For the present, Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western India and All-India Juniors will be sponsored by Nokia N-Gage. The other five junior events will continue to be conducted by the Indian Golf Union and the host clubs that will organise the events.

With sponsorship, the junior tournaments will be better organized and the biggest benefit for the juniors will be the training programmes. The Indian Golf Union will hopefully pump in more money into developmental areas and promote golf at the grass roots level.

In recent years, the Indian Golf Union has held regular training programmes and been inviting coaches from abroad. At present, much of this activity is funded by grants from the Royal and Ancient in the UK. But this program could get a fillip with additional funds coming in from local sponsors.

The low-key Indian Golf Union secretary Satish Aparajit and his president, K N Harsh, have done great work by getting the sponsors. And this is the first time that a professional management company "" Tiger Sports "" has been allowed to handle an event.

"This should be a great boost for the juniors who have begun doing well at international level," says Aparajit.

Youngsters like Fathebir Dhaliwal, Ajeetesh Sandu, both from Chandigarh, Gaganjeet Bhullar from Kapurthala, Viraat Bahdwar, just nine years of age, from Delhi are the future hopes. And, hopefully, the funds will be used for their benefit, be it in the form of coaching or exposure to international events.

Last week, when the junior events were on in full swing, there was also a Nokia Day for youngsters who have just entered the game. About 70-80 kids turned up for the clinics conducted by professionals like Romit Bose, Karan Bindra and Brandon de Souza.

Add to that figure over 150 juniors playing in the tournament at the Army Golf Course. It is a tidy figure but the harsh truth is that all these young golfers are children of parents who have access to golf clubs.

The pressing need for Indian golf is to build more public courses and pros like Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal have frequently spoken in favour of it.

Despite its growing popularity, golf is still restricted to those who have access to the facilities. The day it becomes available to others through public facilities "" there is currently just one in India, at Lado Sarai in Delhi "" there will be a bigger pool of junior golfers.

The Lado Sarai course was set up by the Delhi Development Authority, courtesy the golf-playing Lt Governor Vijai Kapoor.

And the pool will include not just the children of affluent parents but youngsters from middle class backgrounds and caddies will get opportunities to rise in the game.

After all, it is the last category which has given us the largest number of pros, the latest being the likes of Ashok Kumar and Harinder Gupta.